Tips for Successful Corporate and Foundation Fundraising

Office Depot's Community Relations Team is regularly invited to make presentations to fundraising professionals and volunteers who are interested in submitting proposals to corporations and foundations. We are pleased to offer the following ideas and suggestions, which have been excerpted from these presentations.

Overview

• In public companies, dollars allocated to philanthropy take away from Earnings per Share. Therefore, they must be justified to shareholders.
• Still, public companies must make a commitment to making a difference. They must decide who they're going to partner with - and why - based on the mission statement and the core values of the corporation.
• A public corporation's philanthropic priorities and interests are usually publicly stated in its community annual report, in a brochure or on its website.
• Fundraisers owe it to themselves and to the corporation or foundation to do their homework and background research. Why spend time and money sending a proposal to a corporation that clearly states that it is not interested in funding your type of organization, or the type of project you are proposing? A brief time spent conducting research on the Web can reveal a wealth of information.
• Before sending an inquiry letter or a cover letter for a proposal, review it to make sure it demonstrates that you have taken the time to do your preparation.

Presenting Your Organization

• Most proposals focus on what an organization does. Few focus on what is unique about what they do or what distinguishes them from the competition -- and other nonprofits are competition.
• Few of them offer any solid metrics about what they accomplish.
• Before visiting a corporation or foundation, it is important to know and understand its programs.
• It is ill-advised to ask for the "sun, moon and stars" in an initial request. It is usually better to start with "baby steps" by suggesting a program that can start small and develop over time.
• Organizations need to appreciate that Office Depot is a brand (as are other corporations). Every company protects its brand and brand reputation, so it must do its due diligence to ensure that a potential nonprofit partner is consistent with its brand.
• What will cause Office Depot or another corporation to sit up and take notice? Measurable impact, differentiation from other nonprofits, information about how a program is structured and similar details are critically important.
• It is also important to understand timelines. Office Depot works within a budget year and plans its budget far in advance. To make a request for an event that is happening within a week is unrealistic, or to ask for $100,000 in a year is unrealistic.
• How familiar are you with your own financial statements? If an official from a corporation or foundation has questions for you, are you able to explain changes in your balance sheet or cash flow?

Presentation materials

• Funders typically do not want or need big packages of information.
• Collateral materials created by many nonprofits tend to be either overdone or underdone.
• Materials must highlight what the organization has accomplished. For example, what were your goals three years ago and what have you accomplished? What were your goals two years ago? One year ago? What are your goals this year? What are the specific programs for which you are seeking support? How is the money going to be used - and how is it going to be measured?